Fire-escape.



G. F. UPTON.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27. 1914.

Patented J une 8, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR. 66 1/ MW 2 6m W A TTORNEY.

THE NORRIS FETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHOV, WASHINGTON, D. c

G. F. UPTON.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1914.

1,141,995. PatentedJune s, 1915.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

L .3 3 3/ ig 5 32/5 v H I 3,2

WITNESSES: I 11v VEN TOR.

6 73, W w A TTORNEY.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTOVLITHOH WASHINGTON, L. c

GEORGE F. UPTON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed July 27, 1914. Serial No. 853,293.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. UPTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements'in fire escapes.

The object of my invention is to provide a fire escape adapted to be supported by a window sill or other part of a building, and with which an occupant or occupants in an upper story may quickly and safely lower themselves to the ground.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved fire escape, shown attached to a window sill and with the reel in the elevated or initial position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the fire escape. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a part of the supporting frame and parts connected therewith taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged end elevation of a portion of the reel showing one of the brake shoes engaged therewith. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the extensible supporting arms which attaches the apparatus to the building. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the diiferent views.

The supporting frame comprises two vertical end members 1, which are rigidly connected with each other by transverse tie rods 2, 8, 4 and 5. The frame is supported from a building by two extensible arms, each preferably comprising a horizontal member 6 having its outer ends pivoted to the rod 2, and which is provided, Fig. 7, with a longitudinal slot 7, through which extends a clamping screw 8 provided with a handle 9 and having its lower threaded end fitted in a vertical screw-threaded hole in a horizontal member 10, the inner end of which is provided with a hook 11, Fig. 1, which is adapted to embrace the inner edge of a window sill 11, upon which the member 10 rests, and into which the lower pointed end of the screw 8 is adapted to be inserted. By looseningthe screws 8 the members 6 and 11 may be adjusted longitudinally for the purpose of adapting the device to the particular window to which it may be attached. The rear edges of the members 1 are adapted to bear against the outside wall 13 of the building.

Each frame 1 is provided with a U-shaped guide 14, the inner sides of the arms of which are longitudinally grooved. In the grooves of the said two arms is slidably mounted the lower member 15 of a box, the upper member 16 of which is, preferably, rigidly secured to said arms. A reel 17, provided with an axial horizontal shaft 18, has its shaft 18 rotatably mounted in the boxes comprising the memebrs 15 and 16. Two coil springs 19 are respectively mounted in the two guides lt and have their lower ends respectively supported on the transverse portions of said guides, and upon their upper ends respectively supportthe members 15.. A rope 20, which is adapted to support a person has one end attached to the periphery of the reel 17, upon which it is adapted to be wound, and at its other end supports a stirrup 21 adapted to receive the foot of the person who is to use the apparatus. A rope 20 engages a grooved pulley 22 which is rotatably mounted and is longitudinally movable upon the tie rod 4. The pulley 22 is mounted between a iJ-shaped housing 23, the arms of which slidably enibrace the tie rod 4, and which is provided with two tubular projections 24 with which the rope 20 has a running engagement.

The device just described serves in a manner well understood to properly guide the rope 20 when it is being wound upon the reel 17.

For the purpose of turning the reel 17 in a direction such as to wind thereon the rope 20, I provide two convolute springs 25 respectively located in recesses 26 with which the outer ends of the reel 17 are respectively provided. The inner ends of the springs 25 are rigidly secured to the reel shaft 18. The outer ends of said springs are respectively secured to two transverse pins extending inwardly respectively from the guides 14. The tension of the springs 25 is such that when the rope 20 has been fully wound on the reel 17 said springs will still exert a considerable tension tending toward winding the,

rope 20 still farther thereon.

In each of the frame members 1, at opposite sides of the reel 17 are pivotally mounted two horizontal rock. shafts 28 having squared outer ends to which are respectively rigidly secured to levers 29 which extend below and are adapted to be depressed by the adjacent end of the reel shaft 18. The rock shafts '28 are respectively provided, Fig. 4:, with cam eccentric disks 30, on which are respectively pivotally mounted four brake shoes 31, two of which are adapted to engage the periphery of one head of the reel 17, the other two shoes being adapted to engage the other head of the said reel.

When the shaft 18 has been moved downwardly between the arms of the guides 14, with the box members 15, from the initial position shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6, to a predetermined position, the shaft 18 will have forced the levers 29 downwardly, thereby rocking the rock shafts 28 ina direction such that the eccentric cams 30 will force the brake shoes 31 tightly against the heads of the reel 17 thereby causing the brake shoes to exert a breaking action tending to res st the rotation of the reel 17 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. l.

For the purpose of insuring that, when the weight of a person is placed upon the stirrup 21,-the rope 20'will reliably pull the reel 17 and its shaft .18 downwardly to a position in which the brake shoes 31 will be applied to the reel, the shaft 18 has rigidly secured to it respectively adjacent to its ends, and respectively outside the frame members 1, two gearwheels 32 which, when the shaft 18 moves downwardly from the initial position shown in Fig. 3, are adapted to re- 7 spectively engage two racks 33 respectively secured to the guides 14 parallel with the arms thereof.

With the parts. disposed as shown in Fig. 1, as soon as a persons weight is placed :upon the stirrup 21, the rope 20 will begm'to unwind from the reel 17, this movement being resisted by the coil springs 25. The reel 17 will thus be forced downwardly against the pressure of the springs 19, toapos'ition in which the gear wheels 32 will respectively engage with the racks 33. As the weight of the person causes the rope 20 to unwind, and, therefore, to turn the reel 17 clockwise, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3, the gear wheels 32 will run down the racks 33, due to the rota ,tion of the reel bythe weight of the person,

until the levers 29 will have been swung to a position in which the eccentric cams 30 will cause the brake shoes 31 to be applied'to the reel 17. When the brake shoes have been applied with maximum force, to thereel 17, the gear wheels 32 will have passed out of engagement with the racks 33 and will be in resisted by the brake shoes 31. The levers 17 may be slightly resilient, so as to permit the weight of the person 'to spring them slightly after the shoes 31 are in the braking position against the reel.

As the reel 17 revolves, the rope 20 will unwind therefrom, and will finally land the person carried thereby on the ground, the braking mechanism described being suflicient to prevent his too rapid descent. As soon as the weight of the person is removed from the stirrup 21, and the rope20 is released, the springs 19 will force the reel shaft 18- to the initial position shown in Figs. .1 and 3, at which time the gear wheels 32 will be free from the racks 33, whereupon the convolute springs 25 will rotate the reel 17 counter clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby winding on said reel the rope 20 until the adapted to engage respectively the under edges of the two pairs of levers 29 so as to swing them upwardly as the box members 15 are forced upwardly by the springs 19.

I do not limit by invention to the structure shown and described, as modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention Having thus described my invetnion, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pattent, is v V V 1. In a fire escape, ,a supporting frame provided withmeans for being attached to a building, a rope adapted to support a person, a reel, to the periphery of which said rope is attached, rotatably mounted in said frame and movable by weight applied to said rope to a predetermined position, yielding means for resisting movement of the reel toward said position, means actuated by said reel for applying a braking pressure to said reel when it has arrived at 7 rotatably mounted in saidframeandmovable by weight applied to said rope to a pie-determined position, yielding means for resisting movement. of the reel toward said position, a brake adapted to be applied to the reel, a lever disposed in the path of movement of said reel, and means by which said lever applies said brake to said reel with a pressure exceeding that applied to the lever, when the reel has arrived at said pre-determined position, and yielding means for resisting rotation of said reel by the unwinding therefrom of said rope. I

b. In a fire escape, a supporting frame provided with means for being attached to a building, a rope adapted to support a person, a reel, to which said rope is attached, rotatably mounted in said frameand bodily movable thereon by weight applied to said rope to a pre-determined position, yielding means for resisting movement of said reel toward said position, a spring arranged to be wound by and connected with said reel as the rope is unwound therefrom, said spring having strength sufficient to rewind said rope on said reel, a brake adapted to be applied to said reel when the reel has been moved to said pre-determined position, and means including a lever operable by said reel for applying to said brake a pressure exceeding that applied to the lever.

4. In a fire escape, a supporting frame provided with means for being attached to a building, a reel rotatable in said frame and bodily movable thereon to a pre-determined position, a gear wheel attached to said reel, a rack attached to said frame and adapted to engage said gear wheel when the reel has been moved from an initial position to the pie-determined position, a rope attached to said reel and adapted to be wound thereon and unwound therefrom, the reel being movable by a pull on said rope from said initial. position into a position in which the gear wheel will engage said rack, the reel being movable by a pull on the rope to a position in which the gear wheel will be disengaged from said rack, yielding means normally exerting a pressure tending to force said reel to said initial position, a springfor turning said reel to rewind said rope, a brake adapted to be applied to said reel, and means for applying said brake to said reel when said gear wheel is engaged with said rack.

5. In a fire escape, a supporting frame provided with means for being attached to a building, a reel rotatable in said frame and movable thereon to a pre-determined position, a rack secured to said frame, a gear wheel rotatable with said reel and adapted to engage said rack, when said reel has been moved from an initial position to said predetermined position, the reel being movable to a position in which the gear wheel will have become disengaged from said rack, means for resisting the movement of said reel from said initial position and for retracting the reel to said initial position, a springattache'd to said frame and I to said feel and adapted to be wound when the reel is turned in one direction, a rope attached to said reel and adapted when pulled so as to be unwound therefrom to turn said reel in said direction, the reel being movable by a pull on said rope to a position in which the gear wheel will engage said rack, and to a position in which the gear wheel will run out of engagement with said 'rack, a brake, and means actuated by said reel when it has moved to said predetermined position for applying said brake to said reel.

'6. In a fire escape, a supporting frame having means for being attached to 'a building, a reel rotatably mounted therein and movable thereon to a pie-determined position, yielding means for resisting movement of said reel from an initial position to said pre-determined position, a rope attached to and adapted to be wound on said reel, the reel being movable from said initial position 'to said pre-determined position by a pull ap "plied to said rope, a spring for turning said reel to rewind thereon said rope, a rock shaft pivoted in said frame, a brake shoe adapted to be applied to said reel, means actuated by the rock shaft for applying the brake shoe to the reel, and a lever for rocking said rock shaft, the lever being actuated 'to apply said brake shoe by said reel when said reel has moved to said pro-determined position. I

7. In a fire escape, a supporting frame provided with means for being attached to a building, a reel rotatably mounted therein, a rope attached to said reel and adapted to be wound thereon, the reel being movable by a pull on said rope from an initial position to a pre-determined position, yielding means for resisting movement of the reel from and for retracting it to said initial position, a spring for turning said reel to rewind "thereon said rope, a brake shoe, means actuated by said reel and operable by said reel when the reel has reached said predetermined position for applying said brake shoe to said reel, a gear wheel secured to said reel concentrically with the axis thereof, and a rack secured to said frame and adapted to be engaged by said gear wheel, when the reel has been moved by said rope from the initial position, said rope being adapted to pull said reel to a position in which said gear whrlael will, pass out of engagement with said rac r.

8. In a fire escape, a supporting frame provided with means for being attached to a building and having guides, a reel provided with an axial shaft rotatable in said guides and bodily movable therein transversely to its axis, a spring for resisting bodily movement of said shaft in said guides, from an initial position, a spring for resisting rotation in one direction of said reel, braking means for resisting rotation of said reel in said directionand actuated by said shaft when the shaft has moved bodily in said guides and transversely from the initial position to a pre-determined position, a rope attached to'the periphery of said feel and arranged so that a pull applied to the rope will force said reel and said shaft from the initial to said predetermined position, a rack attached to said frame and'disposed parallel with said guides, and a gearwheel rotatable with said shaft and when the reel is in the initial position disengaged from said rack and movable into engagement with the rack 7 when the reel has moved-from the initial position, the gear wheel passing out of engage ment with said rack, when said shaft has moved from the initial position a pre-determined distance. r

. 9. Ina fire escape, a supporting frame having means for attachment to a building, a reel rotatable in said frame and bodily movable transversely to its axis from an initial to a p e-determinedposition, a rope attached to the periphery of said reel and adapted tom'ove said reel from said initial to said pie-determined position, a spring for resisting movement of the reel from said initial position, a spring for turning said reel to rewind thereon said rope, a brake shoe, a rock shaft having a cam for forcing said brake shoe against said reel, and a lever secured to said rock shaft and actuated by said reel, when the reel has moved to said pre-determined position, to rock said shaft to apply said brake shoe to said reel.

10. In a fire escape, a supporting frame having means for attachment to a building, a reel rotatable in said, frame and bodily movable transversely to its axis from an initial to a predetermined position, a rope attached to the periphery of said reel and adapted when a proper pull is applied thereto to move said reel from said initial to said pre-determined position, a spring for resisting movement of the reel from said initial position, a'spring for turning said reel to rewind thereon said rope, a rock shaft 'piv oted in said frame and having an eccentric,

a brake shoe pivotally mounted on said ec centric and adapted to be forced thereby into and out of engagement with said reel,

and means actuated by said reel when it has been moved to said pro-determined position for rocking saidrook shaft to apply said i i movement of the reel from said initial position, a spring for turning said reel to wind thereon said rope, a rock shaft pivoted in said frame, a brake shoe movable by said rock shaft into engagement with said reel, a a

lever secured to said rock shaft and movable by said shaft, when said, shaft has been moved to said predetermined position, to rock the rock shaft to apply said brake shoe to the reel, a rack secured to said frame parallel with said guides, and a gear wheel secured to said shaft, and when the reel is in the initial position being disengaged from said rack, and movable into engagement with said rack when the reel has been moved from the initial position, and passing out of engagement .with said rack when the reel shaft has been moved a pre-determined distance from the initial position.

In testimony whereof I have slgn ed my name to this specification in presence of two subscribmg WltIlQSSGS.

GEORGE r. UPTON.

Witnesses 7 WARREN D. HOUSE,

WILLIAM S..GABRIZEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentsi Washington, D. C. 

